PS Vita 2012 Holiday Buyers Guide

The 2012 holiday season is upon us and we want to give potential Vita owners a head start on the shopping frenzy.

Contained in this guide is everything you’ll need for your brand new PlayStation Vita or, if you’re picking one up for the gamer on your shopping list, we also put compiled a number of key software recommendations.

Hardware

Currently, there are a variety of Vita bundles available across North America. Those looking to pick up Sony’s latest handheld have many options at their disposal, so we’ll list which ones are the best purchases. Potential Vita owners have two choices when it comes to their new console: the Wi-fi only Vita (retailing for $249.99), or the 3G model, which can be purchased for $299.99.

The 3G model can be seen as an enthusiast piece. Most games cannot be played over 3G so the feature would only be used for the Vita’s other functionalities – Twitter, Skype, Netflix, etc. Those who plan to use the Vita’s app selection will get some use out of the system’s 3G capabilities, though with the emergence of smartphones that may end up being a small group. However, the 3G Vita does come with two free games, though that extra $50 may be better spent elsewhere – and we’ll tell you why in the software section.

The Wi-fi models themselves are split into separate bundles, packed with games and extra content. As we previously stated, the Wi-fi model can be purchased for $249.99, however, no games or memory card is included. The memory card is integral to the Vita, and we will detail your choices later. Sony has a variety of bundles available, and we’ve listed them for you below:

Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation Bundle ($249.99)

Crystal White Wi-Fi Vita

4GB Memory Card

Assassin’s Creed 3 Liberation

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified Bundle ($249.99)

Crystal Black Wi-fi Vita

4GB Memory Card

Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified

Madden NFL 13 Bundle ($249.99)

Crystal Black Wi-fi Vita

Madden NFL 13

So, which bundle is right for you? For sports fans, Madden NFL 13 is obviously the way to go. Though it’d be tempting to pick up the Black Ops Declassified bundle for shooter lovers, the game unfortunately hasn’t fared too well with critics. The Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation bundle should be the model most new owners choose – while we weren’t big fans of the game, it does come with the most bang for your buck

Memory Cards

Just about every Vita game requires a memory card to play, which can be quite troublesome considering the price of cards. Those looking for the most space (32GB) will be paying $99.99, whereas the 16GB and 8GB card run for $59.99 and $29.99 respectively. Theoretically, those who plan to purchase most of their games at retail could get by with the 4 or 8GB card, however, if you have the extra cash we’d spring for 16GB, as digital Vita games can clock in anywhere between 1 and 3GB. Retailers such as Amazon sometimes have discounts on memory cards – I was able to snag the 32GB card for only $77.